John Ellis Resume

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John Ellis Resume

RESUME

for John R. Ellis

BACKGROUND

Over two decades of experience in graphics and film production: Producing, directing, animating, designing, writing, special effects production and live-action filmmaking. Additional skills include sales, fund-raising, promotion, marketing and distribution of motion pictures. Extensive experience in designing and building
action props, miniatures, full size sets, and costumes.

-Special effects direction and consultation:

-Design, storyboards, concept and execution
-Photography (16 & 35mm) high speed, motion control, stop-motion, go-motion, still photography &live-action
-In camera techniques, film and digital compositing
-Organization, management, planning and budgeting

-Visual effects, animation and illustration

-Pencil, ink, acrylic, watercolor, gouache and airbrush illustration
-Traditional hand drawn cel character animation & backlit FX
-Multimedia graphics (Photoshop and many other digital programs)
-Blueprinting and construction drawings
-Motion Graphics, compositing and CGI animation (After Effects and others)
-Editing (nonlinear-Media100) and traditional film techniques
-Digital Film Cleanup and Repair

-Model, set and prop:

-Fabrication, refurbishing and duplication
-Wood, metal, plastics, paper, fibre
-Moldmaking (RTV, plaster and masters for vacuforming)
-Design including presentation art, blueprints and maquettes
-Finishing painting and graphic application
-Practical lighting and other electronics design and installation
-Back engineering and recreation of existing objects

EXPERIENCE

1973-present
Freelance artist/director for print and film including character and effects animation, model
construction, and all types of color and monochromatic design work. Proficient with Photoshop, Illustrator,
QuarkXPress and other graphic related software. CGI experience includes Aftereffects, Mediapaint, Fusion and Lightwave. Internet savvy webmaster and site designer/creator. Past clients include Marvel Comics, Science News Magazine, Prentice Hall, NASA, Encyclopedia Brittanica

WORK HISTORY:

2003
FREELANCE-

20th Century Fox
Visual Effects Co-Director & CGI Effects

DEADLY STINGERS (feature)

Doodle Barnett Productions
Visual Effects Director & CGI Effects

THE LOW BUDGET TIME MACHINE (short subject)

DarkWorld Pictures
Designer/Animator

Darkworld Pictures (animated logo)

2002
FREELANCE-

Laguna Films
Visual Effects Director & CGI Effects

GOT PAPERS (feature)

EFilm
Digital film cleanup artist:

DAREDEVIL (Feature-20th Century Fox)
SIN EATER (Feature-20th Century Fox)
VAN HELSING (Feature-Universal Studios)
BIG FISH (Feature-Columbia Pictures)
DOWN WITH LOVE (Feature-20th Century Fox)
THE CAT IN THE HAT (Feature-Universal Studios)
8 MILE (Feature-Universal Studios)
FRIDA (Feature-Miramax)
25TH HOUR (Feature-Touchstone Pictures)
THE CORE (Feature-Paramount Pictures)
THE DAY AFTER TOMMORROW (Feature-20th Century Fox)

The Sci Fi Channel
Visual Effects Director & CGI effects

WILLIAM SHATNER'S FULL MOON FRIGHT NIGHT (TV series)

Full Moon Pictures
VIsual Effects Director & CGI Effects

TRANCERS 6 (Feature)

Columbia Pictures
CGI Effects

NATIONAL SECURITY (Feature-Martin Lawrence)

2001
FREELANCE-

K2 FILMS
CGI effects

RADIUS (internet premiere feature)

NEAREALITY
Editing & CGI effects

H.I.T. (industrial)

2000
FREELANCE-

TEMPE ENTERTAINMENT
Visual Effects Director:

GROOM LAKE (Directed by William Shatner)

FOX FAMILY CHANNEL
CGI effects:

AU PAIR II:THE FAIRYTAIL CONTINUES

KUSHNER/LOCKE
CGI effects and Supervision:

MICROSCOPIC BOY
THE ST. FRANCISVILLE EXPERIMENT

SMG FX, Inc.
CGI consultation/animation

Jason Zodiac Rock Video "Silence"
Jason Zodiac Rock Video "Brainwash"

Mai Kuraki Rock Video "Reach for the sky"

1999/2000
UFO FILMS
Visual Effects Coordinator (Staff)
Digital animation for the following feature films:

DEEP CORE 2000
VIRTUAL VEGAS (aka VIRTUAL GIRL II)
PYTHON
DAYBREAK
FALCON DOWN
EPOCH

1999
FULL MOON PICTURES/FAT CAT POST
Supervising Visual Effects Director/Senior Animator
for the following feature films:

ALIEN ARSENAL
TIMEGATE:THE SADDLETRAMPS
WITCHOUSE
BLOOD DOLLS
PLANET PATROL
TOTEM
RETRO-PUPPETMASTER
SHANDRA THE JUNGLE GIRL
DUNGEON OF DESIRE
DIARY OF LUST
MICROSCOPIC BOY
ADVENTURE EXPRESS
THE BOY WITH THE X-RAY EYES
TEEN TASK FORCE
LIP SERVICE
VOODOO ACADEMY
MYSTERIOUS MUSEUM
THE DEAD HATE THE LIVING
RAGDOLL
others

1998
FULL MOON PICTURES/FAT CAT POST
Supervising Visual Effects Director/Senior Animator
for the following feature films:

HIDDEN BEAUTIES: THE AWAKENING
MURDERCYCLE
PLEASURECRAFT

FULL MOON PICTURES/FAT CAT POST
Co-Visual Effects Director/Animator
for the following feature films:

SUBSPECIES 4: BLOODSTORM
THE KILLER EYE

SMG FX, Inc.
F-ZERO-X (TV Commercial) Nintendo
Concept Artist/Set Designer/Fabricator

Neotek, Inc.
SUPERNOVA (feature) 20th Century Fox
Action Prop/Costume Fabricator/Concept Artist

1997
FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON (miniseries) HBO Pictures
SPFX 2nd Unit Still Photographer

1996
FIRST ENCOUNTER (feature) Showcase Pictures
SPFX Director/Art Director

1993-1995
TWILIGHT OF THE DOGS (feature) Raven Pictures
Producer/Director/SPFX Director

1993
UNDEFEATABLE (feature) ITC/FOX
Associate Producer

1990-1992
INVADER (feature)21st Century
Producer/SPFX Co-Director/Art Director

1989
METAMORPHOSIS:THE ALIEN FACTOR (feature) Trimark
SPFX Co-Director/Designer

1985-1987
STARQUEST:BEYOND THE RISING MOON (feature) SciFi Channel
Producer/SPFX Co-Director/Art Director

1985-1990
TAYLOR MADE IMAGES (animation house)
Director/Animator

1983-1984
BROADCAST ARTS, INC. (animation house)
Artist/Animator

1982
McLEAN TYPOGRAPHICS (graphics house)
Art Director

1981
NIGHTBEAST (feature) Troma
SPFX Director

1980
CONSOLIDATED VISUAL CENTER (animation house)
Animator/Graphic Artist

1979
I GO POGO (animated feature) Disney
Animation Camera Operator/Post Production Assistant

1978
Film and Graphics Corporation
Animator/Graphic Artist

Acting/Voiceover Credits

Jason Zodiac "Brainwash" (2000) Faceless man (nonspeaking)
RetroPuppetmaster (1999) Ticket taker (looping)
Planet Patrol (1999) Ship's Computer (voiceover)
Hollywood Mortuary (1997) Man killed in diner (supporting)
Mark of Dracula (1997) Redneck (Lucy's first victim) (supporting)
Twilight of the Dogs (1995) Tank Commander (voiceover)
Undefeatable (1993) Joe Petrone (supporting)
Invader (1992) Various (looping/voiceover)
Star Quest (1987) Col. Krueger (supporting)

EDUCATION AND ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

1976
Assistant to Jim Mooney (Comic artist - "The Defenders")

1974-1975
Palm Beach Community College
Studies in design and communication

1972-1973
North Tech Educational Center
2 year Degree in Commercial Art

1970-1971
Apprentice to C.C. Beck (Comic artist - "Captain Marvel")

Freelance writer and artist for newspapers and magazines since 1970.

Promotional representative for various films including STAR WARS (1977), and STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982).

Lectures at colleges and media conventions on animation, independent filmmaking, and special effects from 1973 to present.

AWARDS

1989
CINDY Award-Best Special Effects "Sammy The Seal in: Cleaning House" (Taylor Made Images/US Navy)

1985
Houston International Film Festival-Special Jury Award-Director "Understanding Taxes" (aka: IRS IN SPACE) (Taylor Made Images/CLI Productions)

1984
Clio Award-MTV ID (Broadcast Arts)

1973
3rd place in the South Florida Regional Commercial Art Competition (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America)

DEMO TAPE and REFERENCES available upon request.

View my FX Demo Reel

Click here for my Internet Movie Database (Imdb) Listing

PARTIAL LISTING OF SHORT SUBJECT CREDITS:

Consolidated Visual Center Projects (1980-1981):

Dynamic Deep Compaction (Industrial) animator
Reinforced Earth (Industrial) animator
Exterior Ballistics: From Kentucky Windage to Computer Aeromechanics (US Navy Short) director/animator
Electronic Warfare:Challenging the Future (US Army Short) director/animator
Pantry Pride/Blue Streak Service (TV Spot) animator
Fort McHenry (State of Maryland PSA) visual FX co-director
Maryland Lottery (TV Spot) animator
Others.

Broadcast Arts, Inc. Projects (1981-1985):

HBO/CINEMAX Max Trax (3 Program Opens) animator/model builder
Showtime Video Rock (2 Program Opens) animator/model builder
Alan Parsons Project "Don't Answer Me" (Rock Video) animator
DC Instant Lottery (TV Spot) animator/model builder
NBC People Are Funny (Program Open & bumpers) animator
Crest Hooray (TV Spot) animator/storyboards
CBN Matinee Movie (Program Open) animator
Arts & Entertainment (Network ID) animator/model builder
George Michael Sports Machine (2 Program Opens) animator
MTV (24 On Air ID's) animator/model builder
Playboy Channel (Network ID) animator
Sporto Shoes (TV Spot) animator/modelbuilder/set construction
Casio House Rockers (TV Spot) animator/model builder/set construction
ABC Saturday Special Feeling (Network ID) animator/model builder
PBS Festival Nights (TV Spot) animator
Hot Hits (TV Spot) Director/animator
Labor News Network (Network ID) Director/animator
United Artists Cinemas (TV Spot) animator/model builder
WBZ TV (4 TV Spots) animator
WPLJ Radio (2 TV spots) animator/model builder
Carrier Air Conditioning (2 TV spots) animator/model builder
PM Magazine (Program Open) animator
3-2-1-Contact (Program Open) animator
Spaces (Program Open) animator
Others.

Taylor Made Images Projects (1985-1992):

Mesozoic:Days of the Dinosaur (TV pilot) associate producer
Westinghouse (TV Spot) director/animator
Kerry for Senate (TV Spot) director/animator
Mazza Gallerie Dinosaur (Theatrical short) director/editor
IRS Space (PSA) director/animator
WJZ Seafood (program open) director/animator
K-Mart (TV Spot) director/animator
Hoover (12 TV Spots) director/animator
Sunshine (ABC News Promo) model builder
Dupont (6 industrials) director/animator
US Coast Guard (3 PSA's) storyboard artist
Sammy the Seal in: Cleaning House (US Navy safety film) director/animator
Nitromethane (Industrial) animator
97 Rock FM (TV spot) director/animator
Sam Raimi's The Losers (TV Pilot) visual FX director
ION Pictures (Animated Logo) designer/animator
Others.

Partial Listing of Feature Film Credits:

Sunshine's Run (One Way Productions 1972) production assistant
The Dream Machine (Ed Braun Films 1976) visual FX consultant
The Alien Factor (Cinemagic Films 1978) consultant
I Go Pogo (Possum Productions 1980) camera operator/post prod. ass't.
Nightbeast (Cinemagic Films 1982) visual FX co-director
Galaxy Invader (Cinemagic Films 1984) visual FX co-director
Star Quest (Common Man Films 1988) producer/visual FX producer
Metamorphosis:The Alien Factor (Petrified Films 1990) visual FX co-director
Invader (21st Century Films 1992) producer/visual FX producer
Undefeatable (Action Star Pictures 1992) associate producer
New Genesis: The Twilight of the Dogs (Raven Pictures International 1996) producer/director/visual FX director
First Encounter (aka Moral Code) (Ramsway Pictures 1996) technical and visual FX director
The Contract (Bluemke Pictures1996) production consultant
Falling to Peaces (aka-Crowded House) (Anders International Pictures 1997) Executive Producer
Others.

Email me at:

NEW GENESIS: THE TWILIGHT OF THE DOGS
is now out on home video ...ask for it at your
neighborhood video rental outlet

INVADER, STAR QUEST:Beyond The Rising Moon, METAMORPHOSIS:The Alien Factor, FIRST ENCOUNTER & I GO POGO (aka POGO FOR PRESIDENT) are all available at video rental outlets everywhere.

Thanks for dropping by!

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View my FX Demo Reel

Click here for STAR QUEST: BEYOND THE RISING MOON Facts, Credits & MORE!

Click here for INVADER Facts, Credits, & MORE!

Click here for METAMORPHOSIS Credits & MORE!

Click here for NEW GENESIS: THE TWILIGHT OF THE DOGS Facts, Credits & MORE!

Click here for article on making NEW GENESIS: THE TWILIGHT OF THE DOGS

Click here for FIRST ENCOUNTER page and archive

More text info and pix to come soon!
Be sure and email us your comments and suggestions.

LOGO created by Lee Stringer

Scans by Ron Miller and John Ellis